To Belong
by ooorange
Summary: Daryl meets a girl in the woods and assumes she could be of great help in stopping whatever disease it is that kills their people one by one. Daryl thinks he could trust her but Rick and Michonne think otherwise.
1. Chapter 1

_Hi guys! My very, very first TWD story! Hope y'all would like it. Please do review so I would know what to work on. Thank you! :)_**  
**

"I'm goin' out."

Rick frowned and followed Daryl into the main gate of the prison. "You're not going hunting, are you?" he asked cautiously.

Daryl stared at him and nodded, fully aware of the situation. Bringing in animals could pose danger for everyone in the prison. Though they aren't really sure whether the animals caused the disease spreading, it was better to take precautions. Rick nodded back at him and went to the ropes to pull the gates open as Daryl rode his motorcycle and rushed out into the open.

He raided the nearby town for supplies; he was lucky to have found a lot of medicines and first aid kids. Daryl thought it was best to bring back whatever medicine he could find— anything he could find that just might stop the disease from killing their people one by one. As Daryl settled on his motorcycle, ready to head back to the prison, something in him made him want to go into the woods and look for something. He felt as if there was something in the woods, something that could probably help them in their dilemma— just something. He wasn't sure what it was but he decided to go for it anyway.

Like the hunter he was, he was quiet in his steps. Daryl found himself in the middle of the woods searching for something he didn't know. He came across a deer, lively and seemingly healthy but chose not to pay attention to it. He didn't come into the woods to hunt, he came for something else.

Holding up his crossbow, Daryl let his eyes wander around the area. His shoulders sulked when he realized he was just wasting time. The moment he dropped his defensive stance and turned around, a walker emerged from the huge tree and attacked him. Daryl dropped his crossbow in the process of blocking the walker's mouth from biting his arm. He stumbled back and tripped on a log. He fell on his back and hit the back of his head on a rock.

"I ain't dying for ya bitch!" Daryl hissed as he tried his best to push the walker away before he could slip into the darkness.

His head throbbed but he was stronger than that so he kept pushing. The walker that was all over him, gnashing its ugly teeth was pulled back away from him all of a sudden. A girl appeared and stabbed the walker in the head before rushing to where he lay.

"Stay awake if you want to live." It was all she said before pulling Daryl up.

Daryl snickered, "Stayin' awake, piece of cake." He said and stood up on his own, pushing the girl away from him.

The girl frowned as she watched Daryl trudge away from him, "Hey, where do you think you're going?" she called out and caught up to him.

"Back where I live. Gotta bring back the supplies I got." Daryl said and scrunched his face in pain. His head was throbbing but he was Daryl Dixon and there was no way he was going to show it to this girl.

He fell down from a horse, a cliff and had an arrow stuck on his waist and yet he managed to go back to the barn in one piece. A wounded head would be no problem for him either. The girl grabbed his arm and pulled him back, "Your head's bleeding. I can't let you go back with a wounded head. For all we know you might have a concussion and never wake up the next day." She said sternly.

Daryl shook his head, "I ain't stayin' with a stranger."

The girl deadpanned, "You definitely have trust issues." She said and crossed her arms over her chest, "Fine." She said and turned around. "I'm not gonna force you but don't blame me when you feel like your head's being split into two."

And just on time, Daryl felt the throbbing increase. Indeed, it felt like his head was being split into two. He was tough and there's no need for him to prove it. He could bear the pain but the possibility of never waking up scared him. He wasn't scared of dying though, he was scared of leaving behind the people he now considered his family. They needed him as much as he needed them. He watched the girl's figure slowly walk away from him before sighing.

"Hey, woman!" he called out as he held his head.

The girl turned back, "Changed your mind?" he asked as she slowly walked back to where Daryl stood.

Daryl merely nodded in response.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Daryl was brought further into the woods until he caught sight of a small blue tent. As he followed the girl, he couldn't help but wonder how someone as small as her managed to survive on her own; moreover, how she managed to sleep in a tent in the middle of the woods without getting attacked by walkers.

"You alone?" he asked as they arrived at the girl's camp.

She nodded with a faint smile, "Been alone since day one." She responded. "Come, follow me." She said and disappeared into her tent.

The tent was small and could barely fit three people in it. There was a sleeping bag and a basket filled with bandages and a lot of first aid materials. The girl knelt down and looked at Daryl who remained hunched as he tried to take in the insides of the tent. "Sit down." She said and motioned towards the sleeping bag.

Daryl obeyed and watched the girl take ointments and cotton balls from the basket. "You got a name?" he asked, observing the girl's every move.

"Sophie. You?" she asked without looking up from the basket.

"Daryl." He introduced. "Where'd ya get all those stuff?" he asked suspiciously.

Sophie sat next to him and started observing the wound behind Daryl's head, "My mom used to run a small clinic so I learned a lot. Thought it would be useful to take everything just in case." She said as she dabbed the wound with antiseptic.

Daryl hissed at the sharp pain he felt but remained still nonetheless, "Ya know about diseases and shit?" he asked.

Sophie hummed in response, "I know a little about them." She said and focused on cleaning Daryl's wound.

There was silence between the two; Sophie grabbed some gauze from the basket and placed it on top of Daryl's wound before taping it. "You need to stay so I can monitor your condition." She said.

Daryl squinted at her, "Can't stay, my group's waitin'" he said in defense. Sophie sighed, "You really want to die, don't you?"

Daryl stared at her intensely before looking away, "Fine, but in one condition." He said.

Sophie tilted her head, "What?"

"You'll come with me back where I stay. We might be needin' your help."

The sun was slowly setting when Daryl awoke from his nap. He asked Sophie before shutting his eyes though; afraid he might not wake up anymore. Sophie thought it was safe since she didn't notice any signs of a concussion. He doubted her at first but after hearing an explanation composed of medical terms he knew nothing about, he thought maybe it was safe to trust her after all. He sat up from the sleeping bag and saw that the tent wasn't fully zipped up. He peeked outside and saw Sophie sitting on a log setting up a fire.

Daryl just noticed how Sophie looked like. She had a medium-length, wavy, light brown hair and a petite body. Sophie was fair-skinned and it made Daryl wonder how she kept her skin that way when she was probably out in the sun most of the time. She was wearing a fitted white v-neck shirt and Daryl knew that despite her petite body, she had some curves. The way her dark jeans hugged her ass and hips gave away the fact that she had _the_ body. Daryl figured that she was probably around Glenn and Maggie's age, maybe younger.

Sophie wiped off the sweat on her forehead and caught Daryl looking at her from inside the tent; she smiled a little before standing up and walking up to the tent. By the time she was inside, Daryl had gone back to the sleeping bag.

"How are you feeling?" Sophie asked as she bent down to put a hand on Daryl's forehead.

Daryl flinched and pulled back almost immediately but it didn't stop Sophie from trying to get a feel of his temperature again. "So you're the type who doesn't like being touched." She noted before pulling her hand back and smiling at Daryl.

"What are ya smilin' for?" Daryl asked.

Sophie shook her head, "It feels good to be with someone."

Daryl frowned, "What do ya mean?"

"I told you I've been alone since the infection spread. It just feels good to be with someone alive again. It's been pretty lonely. I reached a point where I almost lost my sanity."

Daryl noticed the change in Sophie's voice and face as well. When she talked about being alone, her face fell and her tone changed. He nodded and stared at his lap, "Ya never met any people along the way?" he asked curiously.

Sophie took a sharp breath before staring at nothing in particular, "I met some. But I'd rather not talk about it." she said with a slight chuckle. "How many are you back at your place?" Sophie asked.

"A lot. Almost a community." Daryl simply stated while Sophie nodded. "You must feel happy to belong." She murmured.

Daryl shrugged, "Yeah, you could say that." He sighed and thought back on the condition that they're currently faced with. Daryl sighed and caught Sophie's gaze, "But we're slowly losin' people." He explained. "That's why I wanted ya to come back with me. Ya might know what's goin' on." He said.

Sophie just stared at his eyes and it was uncomfortable at first because he's never met someone who gazed at him like Sophie does— intense. He couldn't look away either; Sophie's eyes were like a whirlpool that pulled him in and there's no way out.

"You're a good man."

"What?"

Sophie shook her head and stood up to leave, "Dinner's almost ready."


	3. Chapter 3

_Please please please send me reviews. It's my first time posting a TWD story and I really want to know if people are enjoying it or not. Thank you! :)_**  
**

* * *

No words were exchanged during dinner; no matter how much Daryl wanted to ask Sophie things, he thought it was better to stay silent. After their little talk in the tent, Daryl concluded that there was something off about Sophie. He felt like she was hiding something, like he couldn't fully trust her. But the way she smiled and the way she healed him somewhat changed his impression of her. Maybe trusting her a little wouldn't be so bad.

Sophie didn't sleep that night and let Daryl use her sleeping bag. Daryl insisted she rest too but she said she'd rather watch him and make sure he was safe. The blood from his wound was slowly decreasing as well; Sophie took it as a good sign.

When Daryl woke up that morning, he felt much better and his head wasn't aching as much. He walked out of the tent and saw Sophie fixing all her stuff.

"Can we go back now?" Daryl asked.

"Good morning to you too, Daryl." Sophie teased upon seeing Daryl.

Daryl merely snickered before grabbing his crossbow from the ground. Sophie decided to leave some of her things behind, except for the medical aid. She didn't want to assume that she'd be staying with Daryl's group for good so she left her tent and a few clothes as well. They reached the road without any walker encounters. She was surprised to see that Daryl had a motorcycle; when Daryl noticed her just standing there; he whistled and called for her attention.

"Ya comin' or what?" he asked as he settled on his motorcycle.

"That thing is loud. Wouldn't that attract the dead?" she asked as she rode behind Daryl.

"Don't care as long as I got my crossbow with me. Hold tight, woman." Daryl said before speeding off back to the prison.

* * *

Carl approached his father who was busy watering the plants. Rick looked down at him and lifted a brow, "Need anything?" he asked. Carl sighed and shook his head, "I was just wondering." He said.

Rick put down the bucket of water and placed his hands on his hips, "Wondering about what?" he asked.

"Daryl."

Rick nodded in understanding. After leaving the prison for a quick supply run, Daryl never came back. But he was sure he was still out and alive. Daryl wasn't weak, he wasn't stupid either. In fact, he was smart because he knew the tricks of survival. Rick bent down and smiled at his son, "He's coming back. I know it." he said before straightening up to water the plants again.

Soon enough, the sound of a roaring motorcycle was heard. The two immediately made their way towards the prison's main gate and there Daryl was, riding his motorcycle with someone behind him. Rick and Carl exchanged glances and smiled at each other in relief. They were right about Daryl— he definitely came back.

Rick pulled at the ropes and let Daryl in. Michonne saw what was going on and approached Rick and Carl.

"Glad you made it back." Rick greeted Daryl with a shoulder pat.

Daryl nodded and motioned towards Sophie, "Saved my ass from a walker and a concussion. She might know somethin' about the disease."

Carl's face lit up, "Are you a doctor?" he asked Sophie.

Sophie shook her head and opened her mouth to say something. However, Rick introduced himself and asked Carl to go tell the others about Daryl's return. Michonne came into the scene, pulling her horse along.

"Ya leavin' again?" Daryl asked.

Michonne nodded, keeping her eyes on Sophie. "I'm heading to Macon." It was all she said as she eyed Sophie judgingly.

Rick seemed to notice the way Michonne was staring at Sophie. Something was definitely up. Michonne's instincts were never wrong; when she doubted the Governor, she sure did the right thing. From the way she was offering a cold shoulder at Sophie somewhat alarmed Rick.

"Be careful out there." Rick reminded Michonne before turning to Daryl.

"You taking her to the council?" he asked.

Daryl nodded before looking back at Sophie who stood behind him, "Follow me."

* * *

"We need to ask you a few questions first." Hershel told Sophie as they sat around the table.

Sophie nodded.

"How many walkers have you killed?" Daryl asked.

"Many."

"How many people have you killed?" Daryl added.

Sophie froze for a moment before looking down at her palms. She swallowed hard before breathing in heavily, "Just one."

Carol and Daryl exchanged looks before staring at Hershel meaningfully. He nodded, "Why?" he asked.

Sophie's throat dried up at the memory and no matter how much she wanted to ignore the question, she couldn't. She didn't want to because she wanted to gain the trust of these people. She was so tired of living alone and if it wasn't for Daryl, she might just have killed herself. She wanted to belong to a group, she wanted to be with people she could trust and she felt that these people were kind and that they wouldn't hurt her.

Carol noticed how tensed Sophie was, "Sophie?" she called out.

Sophie snapped out of her trance and dipped her head low, "He…" she trailed. Daryl noticed the tremble in Sophie's voice. She grew pale the moment the question was asked. For some reason, Daryl got it all figured out but chose to remain silent.

"I met this group and they took me in." Sophie explained with a nod. "I doubted at first because they were all men, three men to be exact and they were all armed." She added.

"Could it be the Governor?" Carol said, making all heads turn to her. "Karen said he killed everyone and left with his people." She added.

Sophie burrowed her brows, "The Governor?"

Hershel cleared his throat, "Where did you meet these people?" he asked, quickly diverting the topic back on track.

"In the woods." She responded calmly, this time. Hershel urged her to go on.

"They said they were from the military that's why they had weapons. They told me that they were finding survivors to bring in to their camp. I guess I was stupid and was desperate to be with people who were actually alive to believe them. One of them tried…to…he tried to do things."

The tremble in Sophie's voice was back. Her shoulders tensed up as she told her story; how one of the men knocked her out and tried to rape her. Sophie said that she was lucky to wake up before something actually happened. It was then that she managed to take her pocket knife out of her jeans. She stabbed the man and managed to run away.

Hershel gave Sophie a gentle rub on the back before changing the topic to the prison's current problem. When they told Sophie about this mysterious virus and its symptoms, Sophie realized she just might know what it could be.

"I need to see those who have it."

Carol frowned, "Are you sure? Walking in the quarantine could mean walking out _with _it, whatever disease it could be." She warned.

Sophie sighed, "I want to help."

Hershel and Daryl exchanged glances before nodding at each other, "Why don't you take a rest first?" he asked.

Sophie smiled, "Thank you."

And for once, Sophie felt that she belonged.


End file.
